HeartSHAPE® Coronary Calcium Score Screenings

Eighty percent of mortality from cardiovascular disease in individuals younger than 65 years of age occurs during their first heart attack. And that first heart attack is not always accompanied by symptoms or warning signs. Even individuals who are otherwise healthy, active and in shape may be at risk.

That is why the Wellmont CVA Heart Institute’s HeartSHAPE® program is designed to focus on early identification of coronary artery disease (CAD) and heart attack prevention.

The painless, non-invasive HeartSHAPE® coronary calcium score screening test – which takes less than five minutes to perform – produces pictures of the coronary arteries from outside the body using a 64-slice CT scanner. From those images, a coronary calcium score is determined.

Identifying the presence of coronary calcium – or early stage coronary artery disease – is valuable because it accurately depicts CAD development and allows practitioners to tailor treatment approaches to slow or stop the progression of this deadly heart disease.

Who should consider a HeartSHAPE® coronary calcium score screening?

The HeartSHAPE® program at the Wellmont CVA Heart Institute is grounded in clinical SHAPE Task Force guidelines for heart calcium scoring.

Those SHAPE guidelines suggest the following individuals should be considered for coronary calcium score screening to better identify coronary artery disease and prevent acute coronary events:

Asymptomatic males without known coronary artery disease between 45 and 75 years of age,with one or more risk factors

Asymptomatic females without known coronary artery disease between 55 and 75 years of age,with one or more risk factors

Outside the specified age ranges, coronary calcium score screenings may be conducted with a physician referral.